Chinese Oud is an outstanding collaboration between Russian Adam and his friend from Jamira Oud in China. Oud collector presented to Areej le Doré an extraordinary, vintage, wild and extremely high-quality Hainan agarwood oil produced in 2003. The composition is built around this rare, marvelous and precious oil and is a completely original take on authentic, wild Chinese oud. This unique, fresh composition has a bitter, sweet, citrusy, boozy opening; a heart of rare, natural florals grown and extracted in China, and nearly extinct, hugely animalic, wild Hainan oud; and a base built around Mysore sandalwood.
The bottle label reads “中國沉香” (Chinese Oud), the original of which was handwritten by a traditional Chinese calligraphy artist. The cap is custom-made of a satisfyingly heavy metal and was inspired by outstanding Chinese architecture, as well as the shape of a traditional Arabian burner.
Chinese Oud fragrance notes
Head
- boozy aldehyde accord, orange, bergamot
Heart
- wild hainan agarwood oil from 2003, rose, jasmine, gardenia
Base
- mysore sandalwood, vanilla, oakmoss, patchouli
Where to buy
Latest Reviews of Chinese Oud
Review of Chinese Oud Part IIA different feel, but just as satisfying
Personally, I can't say that I find this version of Chinese Oud that similar to the first. It does have the exact same structure, and it eventually evolves into an almost identical scent, however, the Oud used here feels completely different to my nose in terms of profile, quality, and especially texture. My skin also amplifies woody notes, and maybe that makes it pop even more, hence, making the differences more notable. In the first version, the oud's profile is smooth as silk, mostly coming across as a brown, suede leather accord, working along the other notes. In part 2, the oud is sour, smoky, very textured, like a bumpy wood surface, and much drier. To me, this profile is very apparent and it stays like that, quite noticeable for some good hours before it finally recedes and becomes something closer to the first version. I still love this version, as it provides a nice variation of the same theme, but if I were to choose between the two, I'd go for the first one.
If you were one of the lucky ones to get this one, congrats. It’s a beauty. There’s not a lot of perfume that features Hainan oud. What little I’ve smelled of Oud from here is a bit spicier and less honeyed. The innovative combo of Oud, orange, and aldehydes was new to me and it works so well and gives it a golden warm sparkle. I get some vague florals, mainly rose and a touch of patchouli. This is one of my favorite of his and doesn’t resemble any others.